There’s a very small segment of the population who actually love to have their picture taken. If someone pulls out a camera during a party, they’re the one shouting, “Take my picture!” while everyone else groans and turns the other way.

The odds are pretty good that you’re one of the groaners, not one of the ones jumping in front of the camera. Most of us shy away from cameras as a matter of course. It’s why actually volunteering to have your picture taken during a photo shoot is so challenging (and probably why you’ve been putting it off).

This is my 87-year-old neighbor, Gloria. We lived next door when we were wintering over in Apache Junction, AZ (near Phoenix). She loves to dance and makes her own dance clothes. She is whip-smart, quick-witted and we really enjoy her as our neighbor. I try to join her at 3:30 pm on her porch every day where she has a glass of wine, and I have a cool glass of water.

The number one thing you can do to change that is to find a way to stand out from the crowd with professional branded portraits. That means your personal brand is more important now than ever. People want to do business with human beings, and the more real and authentic you are, the more people will want to do business with you.

Since social media marketing is always visual, your first step toward putting yourself “out there” in a more authentic way is to get awesome, personal, branded photos that allow people to see you and see who you are.

Where you have your photos taken for your next photoshoot can make a huge difference in how well they turn out. Since I specialize in branding sessions, my number one priority is to make sure the location you choose puts your brand front and center and tells your brand’s story.

I love locations that take viewers behind the scenes of your business and show them what a typical day in the life of your brand looks like. This might actually be your office, if it’s styled and branded and has plenty of great, natural light, but not always. If you work from home, you might not even have an actual office. If that’s the case, we’ll need to get creative.

We’re really glad we spent a few days in Fruita, Colorado. It had a 26-mile bike trail along the Colorado River, which we rode and then ate at the infamous Hot Tomato Cafe. We had delicious pizza for dinner.

We checked out the Colorado National Monument for our evening drive and Dinosaur Hill where Elmer Riggs excavated big, huge dino bones in the early 1900s. They’re still admired at the Chicago Field Museum today. I probably saw them as a teenager.

Happy February! It’s been an awesome few weeks down here in the Arizona desert. In between working with new clients, my husband and I found time to attend “Quartzsite RV Show” a few weeks ago. If you saw the movie “Nomadland” this should ring a bell.

Every January, as many as 750,000 to 1,000,000 people (mostly in RV’s) converge on the sleepy little desert town of Quartzsite, located just 20 miles east of the California border on Interstate 10, for the rock, gem, and mineral shows and numerous flea markets. The main attraction, though, is the Quartzsite Sports, Vacation & RV Show. This phenomenon started over 40 years ago and is now billed as “The Largest Gathering Of RVers in the World.”

Visuals are an integral part of making a lasting first impression online. When potential clients, business partners, or employers want to put a face to your resume, what would they see?

A professional headshot session is a sound business investment for a number of reasons, but only if you use it to your advantage.

Here are the mistakes you should avoid.

Making It a National Park

The effort to designate the Grand Canyon as a national park started in the 1880s, but at first, Congress kept failing to pass a bill that would do that. But President Teddy Roosevelt loved the area so much that he finally declared it a national monument in 1908. The bill that finally made it a national park was signed by President Woodrow Wilson in 1919. The Grand Canyon is cared for by the National Park Service, the Hualapai Tribal Nation, and the Havasupai Tribe.

As a professional headshot photographer, I know from experience that you can have the best photographer money can buy, but if you don’t look relatable, comfortable, and engaging in your photos, they’re not going to have the effect you’re hoping for.

I’m sure you know that being relaxed before and during a headshot photo session makes it easier for your personality and professionalism to shine through. The question is, how do you get to a relaxed, comfortable state while doing an activity that most people avoid and dread? Great question! Here are some ideas I share with my clients that have made a huge difference in how their final photos turn out.

We checked out Zion National Park which is absolutely gorgeous! More red rock, varied plants and trees, and there ARE fall colors even in the desert. We went on a short hike and came across a Jerusalem Cricket that is described as a Frankenstein-like insect with a nasty bite.

The thing that cracks me up is the cow grates you pass as you enter or exit a freeway. They are designed to make the cows think they’ll fall if they walk on them. Very effective barriers.

Moab is in eastern Utah, near Arches National Park with its red rock formations. It has a rich history that includes uranium mines, World War II internment camps, being used as a movie set, and rock art created by indigenous people.

We stayed in Thompson Springs which was about 45 minutes away from Moab. Next time, we promised ourselves to stay closer. Driving back and forth got old quickly. We stayed a week at Moab and wished we had two weeks to explore and enjoy it. We enjoyed it so much, that we promised ourselves to come back in the Spring of 2022.

Elk mating season lasts from the end of August through October and the official name for elk mating is rutting. We were excited to be at Estes Park for their big elk rut.

The male elk are called bulls, the females are cows and their young are calves. When a big herd breaks up into smaller groups of cows and calves, they’re called harems. The cows come into estrus (heat) only every 20 days, so as soon as a cow is ready to mate, the bull has to be ready. Cows can have up to four estrus cycles each season, but most cows become pregnant during the first or second cycle.

In May 2021, we made it to Estes Park, CO! Estes Park is 10 minutes outside Rocky Mountain National Park, which has timed entries until 6:00p. We’ll be here from May through the end of September and we’re able to stay this long in a resort town because of Workamping.

In May 2021, we made it to Estes Park, CO! Estes Park is 10 minutes outside Rocky Mountain National Park, which has timed entries until 6:00p. We’ll be here from May through the end of September and we’re able to stay this long in a resort town because of Workamping.

Personal branding has the power to greatly augment your success. It can set you apart from your competition, it can establish your credibility in your field, and it can be what cements relationships between you and your clients. It’s everything that you say, do, post. It’s how you carry yourself, how you interact with others and the impression that you make.

I have always wanted to visit Santa Fe, so after it warmed up, we went there to explore. I’ve read Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way and she has written about Santa Fe and Taos, so going there was a dream come true. In fact, there are many famous artists who have lived there and still do. See interesting facts about Santa Fe.

We signed up for a North American Reciprocal Museum (NARM) membership which got us into a lot of museums for free. Love that! I wanted to see the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, but we weren’t able to because they offered a timed entry and I didn’t get our pass in time. We checked out the New Mexico History Museum and the New Mexico Art Museum. It was delightful, from the paintings to the wonderful sculptures to the turquoise jewelry.

Our friend Robyn told us we must enjoy Silver Springs State Park and take a Kayak trip. We decided that was the perfect way to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

The Silver River flows five miles from the head spring to its confluence with the Ocklawaha River, completely within the confines and protection of Silver Springs State Park. The river offers a wide, wild, and scenic paddle through Florida’s heartland. There have been movies filmed here.

I’ve always heard how amazing the Keys are and we wanted to check them out for ourselves. Wow! They didn’t disappoint. We heard we were lucky to come during COVID as it wasn’t as crowded.

Key West was the only place where I saw strict mask requirements. Even the police were patrolling the streets and reminding everyone to put on their masks as it was the only way they were going to stay open. We saw signs that said, “No Shirt, No Shoes, No Mask - No Service”

We wanted a unique experience! I was yearning for a beach, sun, and a tropical location, but it was going to be hard to do a day trip to the Bahamas due to COVID travel restrictions. I hadn’t heard of the Dry Tortugas before and it finally hit my radar.

The Dry Tortugas National Park is made up of 7 islands and is one of the world’s most unique eco-attractions. It’s about 70 miles west of Key West, FL and they give you a discount for your day trip when you have a National Park Pass.